Method of and apparatus for extracting oil from subterranean strata



G. R. YEOMANS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING 0H. FROM SUBTERR ANEAN STRATA.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. L3. 19!?- 1 ,237, 1 39 Patented Aug. 14,1917.

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GUSTAVUS R. YEOMANS, OF MARIETTA, OHIO.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING OIL FROM SUBTERRANEAN STRATA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed January 13, 1917. Serial No. 142,173.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS R. YEo- 'MANS, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Marietta, in the county of \Vashingtonand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of and Apparatus for Extracting ()il from Subterranean Strata,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for extracting oilfrom subterranean strata and it contemplates introducing hot water intothe oil bearing strata at such pressure that the water will be forcedthrough the strata and the heat thereof will release the oil so thatunder the influence of the pressure created by the water the releasedoil may be driven off through adjacent pumping wells all as fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, vertical, sectional view illustrating oneform of appa ratus used in the employment of the method, and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the hot water supplywells are spaced at intervals among pumping wells.

It has long been known that the reason that oil wells cease to flow isnot because the oil is exhausted but is because the pressure in the oilbearing strata has become reduced to such a degree that the pressure isno longer suflicient to force the oil to the surface. It has also longbeen recognized that the oil bearing strata lie between imperviousstrata and that it is possible to introduce fluid under pressure to theoil bearing strata to increase the pressure therein and to cause the oilto flow to the surface. It has also been known that it is possible to soincrease the pressure throughout the strata that the pressure increasingmedium may be introduced through one well and the oil driven out throughdistant wells.

In accomplishing the foregoing results it has heretofore been proposedto introduce air under pressure and various gases under pressure throughwhat may be termed pressure supply wells but as this descriptionproceeds it will be seen that the present invention contemplates theintroduction of hot water to the oil bearing strata. Hot water possessesadvantages over any of the mediums heretofore used for the reason thatit is noncompressible and has considerable weight and body, by virtue ofwhich characteristics a higher degree of pressure may be exerted throughthe fissures and seams of the strata than could be secured in theemployment of a gas but at the same time this pressure exerting medium,viz., the hot water, will retain its heat through a considerabledistance of flow. In this connection it is to be noted that I providemeans for introducing steam into the hot water adjacent the bottom ofthe pressure well so that the water is heated to a very high temperaturejust at the m0- nient that it enters the oil bearing strata.

I am aware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to introducesteam and other heating mediums to oil wells but this has usually beendone for the purpose of melting the paraffin at and adjacent the bot tomof the well and after the parafiin was melted the introduction of themelting medium ceased. Consequently the introduction of the aforesaidheating mediums was never continued under pressure to such an extent andin such volume as to cause said mediums to penetrate the oil bearingstrata and materially raise the pressure therein.

Referring to the drawing 5 designates the casing of a pressure supplywell, said casing being provided with a cap 6 from which a water pipe 7depends. The water pipe 7- is continued at 8 through any suitableheating furnace, indicated conventionally at 9, and said water supplypipe is connected with a pump, the water end of which is indicated at10. lVater is forced through the pipes 7 and 8 by the pump 10 anddischarged at the bottom of the well formed by the casing 5. Some of thewater is discharged through the lower end of pipe 7 and some of it isdischarged through openings 11 formed in the lower end of the pipe 7. Itis apparent that the structure so far described is sulficient to supplyhot water to the oil bearing strata indicated at 12 but I prefer toemploy an additional means for introducing steam to the water supplypipe for the purpose of maintaining as high a temperature as possible,of the water. 13 indicates a steam boiler from the dome 14 of which asteam pipe 15 leads to a fitting 16 constituting a part of the watersupply line. This steam pipe is continued at 17 through the fitting andmay terminate at any desired point within the pipe 7. In the presentinstance I have shown the steam pipe as being extended nearly to thebottom of pipe 7 so that the steam may be introduced into the water justas the water enters the oil bearing strata. The water and steam pipesare preferably provided with suitable shut-off valves 8 ad 15respectively and also With suital'ile check valves 8" and 15respectively.

The hot water passes from the pipe 7 into the oil bearing sand and asthe pressure rises and the stratum becomes heated, the oil is releasedfrom the oil bearing sands and is driven or pumped out of adjacentpumping Wells indicated at 19 and which wells are of the usual andwell-known type. By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that Icontemplate the employment of a number of pumping wells and alsocontemplate the employment of a number of pressure supply wells locatedat suitable intervals among the pumping wells the pumping wells beingindicated by single circles and the pressure supply wells beingindicated by double circles, in Fig. 2. By virtue of such arrange mentas this it will be apparent that the entire oil bearing stratum will, inthe course of time, become heated, with the result that the oil will bemuch more readily released therefrom than when the stratum is cold.

However, in order to secure the most eflicient extraction of the oilfrom the earth, heat alone is not suflicient. This heat must beaccompanied by pressure and the greater the pressure the more efficientthe results. The Weight of the water alone in a thousand foot well wouldproduce approximately five hundred pounds pressure 'at the bottom of thewell. This added to the pressure that could be imparted to the Water bya large pump Would produce such a very high pressure in the oil bearingstratum as to force the hot water therethrough in such manner as tosecure more ellicient results than would be possible than with a lighterand compressible medium such as air, for example. The water ismaintained at as high a temperzu ture as possible short of converting itinto steam. It will of course lose some of its heat as it passes intothe stratum but it will be maintained at a temperature materially higherthan the normal temperature of the stratum.

A further advantage arising from the employment of hot water is thatthis water simultaneously does two things. It heats the stratum and itreduces the availa le space in which the gas and oil may lie. In

other words, where the oil bearing sand lies between impervious strata.we find at the base of the oil bearing sands a body of wa- Above thewater lies the oil and fi my:-

ter. the oil lies the gas and more oil b" sand. Now it is apparent thatif the body of Water is increased so that its le el is raised, the levelof the oil Will likewise be raised and the gas above the oil will beforced into a smaller space and consequently compressed. This increasedpressure of the gas will likewise aid in increasing the [low at thepumping wells. It is possible that after pumping of hot water into theearth has been continued for some time the level of the water in thestratum may be raised to such an extent that the water may be pumpedfrom some of the pumping wells, in which case this water may be reheatedand used over and over again through one of the pressure supply Wells.

In some of the plants making casing head gasolene; that is, makinggasolene from the as it comes from the wells. it has been endeavored toincrease the flow by the introduction of compressed air to thesubterranean strata. These plants have in many cases been renderednon-producing by the introduction of the air. The herein de scribed hotwater process will produce more gas and richer gas and render theseplants better paying than before since the hot water will release allthe oil and gas and dri\ e it before it.

The heating element 9 has been shown as an ordinary furnace because itis apparent that any suitable fuel may be employed therein. However, Ican to advantage use the waste gas from the wells as a source of fuelsupply for this heating element. This process will require a great dealof hot water but water is n'iaterially cheaper than oil. A block of sandthree hundred feet square and ten feet deep contains something overthirty-two thousand barrels of oil and it ill readily be apparent thatpractically all of this may be recovered by my process because the hotwater does several llt-ings that other pressure creating mediunnwill notdo.

First, it highly heats oil bearing sands o that the sand readily partswith its oil eontents.

Second, as the water level rises it bodily displaces the oil and causesthe body of oil to rise.

Third, owing to the body of the water it carries its heat a longer wayinto the sand.

Fourth, owing to the weight of the water a very high degree of pressuremay be secured that will open up fissures and seams that could not beopened up by other pressure mediums and Fifth, owing to thenen-eompressibility of the water the pump may be caused to art upon thesand with a percussive effect thereby further aiding in opening up newseams and fissures.

further advantage arising from the ear ployment of my method is that Iam able in a large measure to trap within a cireunr scribed area all. ofthe oil contained l ltQi!'.. \Vhere gas or compressed air is utilized asa pressure medium and the pressure in the strata is reduced anindividual may, at great expense, raise the pressure in the strata uponhis own lease only to have persons upon all-- jacent leases profit byhis work. By the use of my method I am able to control the introductionof the hot water in such manner as to maintain the strata heated overany desired area. lut by permitting the water to l!(-- come cold aroundthe boundaries oi that area the oil around the boundaries become :noieor less viscous and o'ilcrs resistnee to the flow through the fissuresot the strata at such points, thereby trap iing, in large measure, theoil within the area that is liept heated.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. The herein describedmethod of trap ping the contents of an oil bearing stratum andextracting the oil therefrom which consists of sinking a plurality ofpumping wells and a pluralty of pressure wells over the area in whichthe oil is to be trapped, introducing hot water under such pressure andin such quantities through some of the pressure wells as to cause thewater to flow through the oil bearing stratum, removing the oil from thestratum through the pumping wells and permitting the water to coolaround the boundaries of the area in which the oil is to be trapped.

2. The herein described method of eX- tracting oil from the earth whichconsists of employing a pumping well and a pressure well spaced fromeach other, pumping hot water into the oil bearing stratum through thepressure well under such pressure and in such quantities as to cause thewater to flow through the oil bearing stratum and removing the oil fromthe st 'atum through the pumping well whereby the weight of the waterincreases the effective pressure thereof, the non-compres sibility ofthe water causing the strokes of the pump to eXert a percussive effectupon the stratum to open up fissures therein and the heat of the wateraiding in releasing the oil from the fissures thus opened.

3. The herein described method of extracting oil from the earth whichconsists of employing a pumping well and a pressure well spaced fromeach other, pumping hot water into the oil bearing stratum through thepressure well under such pressure and in such quantities as to cause thewater to How through the oil bearing stratum and removing the oil fromthe stratum through the pumping well whereby the weight of the waterincreases the effective pressure there of, the non-compressibility ofthe water causing the strokes of the pump to exert a percussive effectupon the stratum to open up fissures therein and the heat of the wateraiding in releasing the oil from the fissures thus opened and the waterbeing introduced in such quantities as to raise the water level in thestratum.

4. The herein described method of extracting oil from the earth whichconsists of introducing to the oil bearing strata hot water under suchpressure and in such quantities as to cause the water to flow throughthe oil bearing strata and removing the oil from the strata at a pointdistant from the point of introduction thereof.

5. The herein described method of extracting oil from the earth whichconsists of introducing water at high temperature and pressure to theoil bearing stratum in such quantities as to raise the Water leveltherein, whereby certain of the contents of the oil bearing stratum arereleased by the heat and the pressure in the stratum is raised to aid inexpelling such released contents of the stratum.

6. The herein described method which consists of introducing hot waterthrough a pressure supply well to the oil bearing strata and withdrawingthe oil through another well spaced from the first named Well, saidwater being introduced at such temperature and in such quantities as tomaterially heat the oil bearing sand and being introduced at suchpressure as to cause it to flow through the fissures of the strata.

7. The herein described method which consists of introducing hot waterthrough a pressure supply well to the oil bearing strata and withdrawingthe oil through another well spaced from the first named well, saidwater being introduced at such temperature and in such quantities as tomaterially heat the oil bearing sand and being introduced at suchpressure as to cause it to flow through the fissures of the strata andsaid water being introduced in such quantities as to raise the waterlevel in the strata.

8. The herein described method which consists of introducing hot waterto the oil bearing strata through a pressure supply well, reheating suchwater at the point of its entry into said strata, imparting suchpressure to the water as to cause it to flow from said well through thefissures of the strata and withdrawing said oil through a well spacedfrom the first named Well.

9. Means for extracting oils from subterranean strata which consists ofa pressure supply well, a water pipe leading to said. well, means forheating the water, means tor putting said water under pressure and asecond well remote from the first named well through which the oilreleased from the oil bearing strata by the heat and pressure of saidwater is withdrawn and means for additionally heating the water afterits entry into the first named well.

'10. Means tor extracting oils from subterranean strata which consistsof a pressure supply well a water pipe leading to said well, means forheating the Water, means for putting said water under pressure and asecond Well remote from the first named well through which the oilreleased from the oil bearing strata by the heat and pressure of saidwater is Withdrawn and means for conducting steam under pressure to theinterior of the first named well for the purpose of additionally heatingthe water therein.

11. In apparatus of the character described, a pressure supply well, awater supply pipe connected therewith and extending downwardly thereinat a point adjacent the bottom of said Well, a heating means for saidwater and means for putting said water under pressure and a steam supplypipe extending downwardly through the water supply pipe and terminatingadjacent the lower end thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GUSTAVUS R. YEOMANS.

\Vitnesses L. G. MEREDITH, EMMA YEOMANS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

